Mainland services failing to accept new smart IDs

An applicant from Hong Kong provides fingerprint data while applying for the mainland residence permit

Several Hong Kong and Macau residents have received their new mainland identity cards, but have noted that some systems still do not accept the permit.  The residence permit is for people from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan who have been living, working or studying in the mainland for at least six months.

The card gives them the same access as mainlanders to 18 public schemes and services, making it more convenient to access services spanning employment, social insurance, housing fund schemes, education and basic medical services.

Patrick Ho, a university student in Zhuhai, Guangdong, was among the first to apply for the residence permit.

However, when Ho tried to update his data on Alipay’s mobile payment service using the smart card, the student was informed that the system was “not ready” to accept his new permit.

As cited in South China Morning Post, Ho discovered that some private and government electronic systems are not ready for the new residence permits.

He was informed by Alipay staff that the identity verification process relied on crosschecking by the mainland’s public security authority. However, authorities have  not included the new smart card in its crosschecking service.

A spokeswoman said the company, which has 870 million active users worldwide, was still preparing to add the new residence permit to its verification process.

Similarly, a Zhuhai People’s Hospital staff member also disclosed that its online appointments system does not recognize the residence permit.

Mainland authorities have not disclosed the total number approved so far, yet Xinhua reported last month that Zhuhai had received over 2,100 applications, which some 1,000 permit applications from Macau residents.